TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Activists and other advocates in the Jacksonville area celebrated turning the state Capitol purple Tuesday night, ahead of the Alzheimer Association’s annual Rally in Tally event.
More than 130 delegates from across the state of Florida will be, or are already, involved, casting purple light on the Old Capitol Building to spotlight the growing health care epidemic.
The event will last until morning, and it kicked off at sunset.
“This is the second or third year we've been out here,” said Hannah Volz, with the Alzheimer’s Association. “We're out here advocating for increased funding and care and support and research for individuals living in Florida with Alzheimer's disease. Florida has the second-highest prevalence rate of Alzheimer's in the nation, so it's incredibly important us.”
Volz’s grandmother lives with the disease, as well.
On Wednesday, more than 100 people are expected to come from all around the state, including many from Northeast Florida -- and flock to the Capitol building. They plan on talking with representatives and Senators.
“(We) will be meeting with representatives and Senators all day and talking with them about why it's important,” Volz said. “ … They're just going to (share) their stories and (discuss) how they have been impacted by Alzheimer's disease.”
It’ll be a day trip for many. A bus is leaving Jacksonville at about 5:30 a.m., so that the delegates are able to spend the day talking to the Legislature about what they think is important.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in America, but the state of Florida has the second-highest number of people affected.
More than 510,000 Floridians have the disease, and they are supported by more than 1 million caregivers.